Hunting hogs with night vision, a machine gun, and a suppressor
Alex C. 06.18.13
Stand hunting from a blind
The sledgehammer approach is sort of a Texas thing, but blind setup is much more conventional and is legal in more states. I typically bait the hogs with a few packets of strawberry Jello mix, and I use a .223 caliber rifle and a very, very old generation III night vision unit that has been in my family since the 80s. My dad got the unit in lieu of payment for a contract, but it was always broken so it was little more than an ornament until I asked him about it a few years ago. I asked if I could buy the body from him but he said “the damn thing doesn’t work, so it’s all yours if you get it to run”. I was excited as could be and sent it down to Jason at Ident Marking Services to put a new generation III tube in it. That was all it took, and the unit now lights up and does exactly what I need it to. Here is the original sales brocure for the unit. Whoever had the nerve to call it a “mini” weapon sight was either intoxicated or had a good sense of humor:
The optic has a nice red reticle that can dim, great focus, and mounts to my favorite rifle, one of my H&K 93s:
This setup is heavy as can be, but shooting from a prone or from a blind eliminates the weight factor. I also use a suppressor so I can tag three of four hogs before the pack knows what is going on. The supersonic crack is loud, but I can usually get off 3-5 shots before the pack gets on the move.
The suppressor adds length and weight, but it is on a quick detach mount. I also have an infrared illuminator attached to the gun to aide the optic. This is like an invisible flashlight that you can buy direct from TNVC and not worry about it being stolen property.
So that about covers my experience in hunting with night vision equipment. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments and I will answer to the best of my ability.
